How to ensure that your child is motivated to study?
The increasing pressure to increase the added curriculum with homework and extracurricular classes is making childhood very stressful for children and parents. Gone are the days when children would play in the building complex for hours, break glasses, eat snacks at some friends place, fight over who won and who cheated. Parents often complain that there is too much studying and homework to do, where is the time to play? How do we make studying a fun activity for the child? How can you enjoy your childhood and stay on top of the competition too?
Set weekly goals: Parents should set weekly goals based on the topics and subjects being covered in school, and decide on a day of the week when they should be prepared with the weekly portion. Don’t panic if on a particular day not much has been done. Encourage the child to cover up until the target day. Of course, make realistic goals, taking into account daily chores, recreation time, and other activities. You can have children set goals for themselves. It would be a fantastic lesson in planning and execution.
Make a study group: make a group of 3-4 children, the child’s classmates, with whom he/she feels very comfortable. Everyone must have the same study objective. On the scheduled day, say Friday afternoon, meet at someone’s house/cafe, prepare a quiz/questionnaire for everyone related to the weekly goal. After the test, they can be given a small treat and then taken to a movie/park/beach as a reward for completing their weekly goal. Having their best friends in the same target zone encourages the child to study regularly and might even do better on tests, which will effectively reduce stress during exams.
Play time: A couple of hours of free play/sports should be scheduled every day, plus homework, extra classes, and study. After all, academics is not everything in the world. Having a calm and balanced child will ensure his good health and happiness for the future.
Beware: a large study group may not be a good idea. It will be like school and classes, minus the fun element. Never compare children. Remember that you want to make studying fun and not make your child or anyone else look small. Please refrain from marking or ranking, otherwise it will just be another stress to deal with each week.
Remember that you are doing this to make studying fun and to take the pressure and stress off of today’s education system.